Turret for casting ladles

ABSTRACT

For continuous casting machines, a ladle turret is provided with a cantilever arm mounted for rotation above the usual tundish and casting mold. A ladle is carried on each end of the arm. A column carrying hoisting gear is also mounted for independent rotation on the turret above the cantilever arm. While molten metal is being poured into a casting mold from a ladle on one end of the arm, the ladle on the other end may be tilted by the hoisting gear to discharge slag.

United States Patent Golde et al.

[451 Sept. 26, 1972 [54] "IURRET FOR CASTING LADLES [72] Inventors:Karl-Heinz Golde, Ratingen; Willi Simons, Dusseldorf, both of Germany[73] Assignee: Schloemann Aktiengesellschaft, Dusseldorf, Germany 22Filed: June 4, 1971 [21] AppLNo; 150,082

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 8, 1970 Germany ..P 20 28078.8

[52] US. Cl. ..266/38, 164/281, 214/318, 222/166, 294/73 [51] Int. Cl...B22d 11/10, F27d 3/14 [58] Field of Search ..164/281; 214/318;222/144, 222/166, 168.5; 266/38; 294/67 DC, 73

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Se1m an et al ..294/67 DC1,629,673 5/1927 Bell et al ..222/144 3,193,150 7/1965 Simas ..222/1663,552,902 l/1971 Schoffmann et a1 ..164/281 Primary Examiner-Evon C,Blunk Assistant Examiner-W. Scott Carson Att0rneySandoe, Hopgood &Calimafde [57] ABSTRACT For continuous casting machines, a ladle turretis provided with a cantilever arm mounted for rotation above the usualtundish and casting mold. A ladle is carried on each end of the arm. Acolumn carrying hoisting gear is also mounted for independent rotationon the turret above the cantilever arm. While molten metal is beingpoured into a casting mold from a ladle on one end of the arm, the ladleon the other end may be tilted by the hoisting gear to discharge slag.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEnsEP26 m2 3.693.960

' SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTORS KARL- HEINZ GOLDE WILLI SIMONS SHEET 2 BF 2 NQEINVENTORS KARL- HEINZ GOLDE WILL! smous TURRET FOR CASTING LADLES Theinvention relates to a ladle turret including a cantilever arm which isarranged for rotating about a vertical axis, the arm being substantiallysymmetrical about the axis and having means at each end for .pivotallysupporting a casting ladle, so that by rotating the arm the ladles canbe moved selectively into at least one casting position and at least oneslag discharging position.

A ladle turret of the above kind is particularly suitable for acontinuous casting plant in which the liquid metal contained in theladles is cast in a single strand for larger cross-sections and aplurality of strands for smaller cross-sections. This involves thenecessity of discharging in a different position the liquid slag thatremains in the ladle when all the metal has been cast while the otherend of the cantilever arm has already received a fresh ladle.

It is an object of the present invention so to construct such a ladleturret that the slag can be easily removed from the ladle and moreparticularly that this operation can be performed in differentpositions.

According to the invention this is achieved by providing the ladleturret with a column upstanding from the cantilever arm the columnhaving a projecting arm and being mounted for rotation about the saidaxis independently of the'rotating motions of the cantilever arm so thatthe projecting arm of the column can be aligned with each of the slagdischarging positions, and chain or rope hoisting gear mounted in thecolumn, the chain or rope thereof being led out through the projectingarm and being engageable with a ladle bottom.

With a ladle turret thus constructed the ladle can be transferred into aslag-discharging position from any position in which it may find itself.The casting ladle remains in its pivotal bearings at the end of thecantilever arm whereas the hoisting force applied to the ladle bottompermits the ladle to be tilted bottom up so that the remaining liquidslag can run out over its lip. The slag can be collected in a slag car,a slag ladle or the like and finally carried away, whereas the castingladle from which the slag has been emptied is lifted off its bearings inthe end of the cantilever arm and conveyed to the melting area.

To enable the projecting arm of the column to be rotated into alignmentwith each slag discharging position the column is preferably providedfor its rotation with drive means of its own which enable the column tobe turned to and fro in a horizontal plane at least within a givenangular range. In order to permit the ladle turret to be rotated withoutaffecting the column the latter may be supported on a ring bearing onthe structural frame work of the ladle turret. The ladle turret and thecolumn can therefore rotate in horizontal planes independently of eachother, but the column may preferably be locked if casting alwaysproceeds in a particular position. Locking may be effected by ahorizontally disposed power cylinder attached to the base, i.e., lowerstructural part of the ladle turret and so linked to the column that itis capable not only of turn-v ing the column but also of locking thesame. During operation the cantilever arm of the ladle turret can beturned 180 about the stationary column after the melt in the castingladle has been discharged, the arm conveying a freshly charged ladleinto casting position and carryingthe ladle stillcontaining the liquidslag into the slag discharging position. in this latter position thechain or rope is attached to the ladle bottom to tilt the same in avertical plane while it remains in its bearings in the end of thecantilever arm, as already described.

The chain or rope hoisting gear may be of any suitable type. in apreferred construction a power cylinder may be provided of which thecylinder is attached to the column, whereas the piston rod may carry areturn wheel or pulley for the chain or rope. The hoisting gear may thenbe designed to provide a mechanical advantage by reducing the necessaryforce because the column permits of the accommodation of a relativelylong power cylinder witha suitably long stroke for displacing thepulley.

The invention will be hereunder more particularly described withreference by way of example to the embodiments shown in theaccompanying, generally schematic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the ladle turretaccording to the invention, whereas FIG. 2 is a partial side view of amodified embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows the ladle turret and its cantilever arm 1. Means, notshown, are provided for rotating the arm 1 about a vertical axis 11. Ateach respective, end the arm l is provided with a bearing 2 or 3 for thereception of casting ladles 4 and 5 respectively. The arm 1 issubstantially symmetrical about axis 11. Ladle 4 is shown in castingpositionabove acontinuous casting machine 6 of which for the sake ofclarity only the tundish 7 and the upper end of the curved guide means 8for the cast strand are shown. I

A column 12 is mounted on the turret structure substantially centrallyof the arm 1 on a wide ring bearing 15 which enables the column torotate about the axis 11 relative to the structure of the ladle turretand the cantilever arm. To rotate the column, the column is providedwith a downwardly extending post 13 which at its bottom end is engagedfor rotation by a horizontal power cylinder 14. By supplying fluid tothe cylinder 14 the column 12 can be rotated and arrested in any desiredposition.

Also schematically shown in the drawing is a power cylinder 16' which isconnected to the column 12, and which has a rod carrying a return pulley16 for a rope 10. One upper end of the rope 10 is anchored to the column12 at 17 and the rope runs thence over the pulley 16, over a deflectingpulley 18 mounted above pulley l6 and over a second deflecting pulley 20at the end of a projecting arm 19.

A hook 20' is providedat the free end of the rope l0 and is engageablewith a drawbar 21 which is hinged to a lug provided on the outside edge22 of the bottom 9 of the ladle 4 or 5.

The ladle 5 in the position shown in broken lines is being emptied ofslag and'for this purpose it has been tilted about its pivot at 5'sufficiently to permit all the slag to drain out. To achieve this thepower cylinder 16 has been operated to hoist the bottom 9 of the ladleout of its horizontal position intothe vertical and a certain distancebeyond so that it is slightly upwardlyinclined. A slag ladle (not shown)can be positioned beneatlrthe tilted ladle 5 to receive the slag thatflows out ofthe ladle 5 and for carrying this slag away. Owing to-the;

pulley and block type of arrangement of the rope any movement of thepulley 16 is transmitted with a mechanical advantage that permits thebottom of the ladle 9 to be hoisted upwards as has been described.

A chain can be provided instead of the rope 10 in which case the pulleyswould be replaced by chain wheels. 7 Although FIG. 1 shows only onecasting position and hence only one slag discharging position it will beunderstood from the previous description that several casting stationsmay be peripherally spaced around the path along which the ladle can berotated and a plurality of slag discharging stations may.correspond tothese casting stations. The column 12 can be rotated so that itsprojecting arm 19 can be aligned with any of the slag dischargingstations.

FIG. 2 is a modified form of construction which nevertheless includesseveral of the parts already described with reference to FIG. 1 and nottherefore repeated in this drawing. Only the center portion of thecantilever arm 1 is shown. Again there is a column 12 and a ring bearingwhich permits the column to turn. However, the post 23 attached to thecolumn 12 is somewhat shortened so that the power cylinder 24 whichrotates the column is located in a plane above the cantilever arm 1. Avertical post 25 pivotably anchors the power cylinder 24 to thestructure of the ladle turret.

The crane hook 20' is shown in its fully hoisted posi- I a lug 28 whichis engaged by a hanger 27. For tilting the ladle the hook 20' lifts thehanger 27 out of the lug 28.

For the attaching and disengaging the hook to and from the ladle bottomit is preferred to provide means which enable these actions to proceedautomatically so that personnel are not hazarded by having to carry outthis task. Conventional crane hooks which can be remotely controlledinto opening and closing position are suitable for this purpose.

We claim as our invention:

1. A ladle turret including a cantilever arm which is arranged forrotating about a vertical axis, the arm being substantially symmetricalabout the axis and having means at each end for pivotally supporting acasting ladle, so that by rotating of the arm the ladies can be movedselectively into at least one casting position and at least one slagdischarging position, a column upstanding from the cantilever arm, saidcolumn having a projecting arm and being mounted for rotation about thesaid axis independently of the rotating motions of the cantilever arm sothat the projecting arm of the column can be aligned with each ofseveral slag discharging positions, and means mounted on said column andengageable with the ladle bottom for hoisting the ladle bottom to tiltthe ladle.

2. A ladle turret according to claim 1, wherein the column is rotatablysupported on a ring bearing, and including independently operable drivemeans provided for re a in the column.

3. A ladle turret according to claim 2, wherein the said drive meanscomprise a horizontally disposed power cylinder connected to the base ofthe ladle turret.

4. A ladle turret according to claim 1, wherein the hoisting gearincludes a hydraulic power cylinder.

1. A ladle turret including a cantilever arm which is arranged forrotating about a vertical axis, the arm being substantially symmetricalabout the axis and having means at each end for pivotally supporting acasting ladle, so that by rotating of the arm the ladles can be movedselectively into at least one casting position and at least one slagdischarging position, a column upstanding from the cantilever arm, saidcolumn having a projecting arm and being mounted for rotation about thesaid axis independently of the rotating motions of the cantilever arm sothat the projecting arm of the column can be aligned with each ofseveral slag discharging positions, and means mounted on said column andengageable with the ladle bottom for hoisting the ladle bottom to tiltthe ladle.
 2. A ladle turret according to claim 1, wherein the column isrotatably supported on a ring bearing, and including independentlyoperable drive means provided for rotating the column.
 3. A ladle turretaccording to claim 2, wherein the said drive means comprise ahorizontally disposed power cylinder connected to the base of the ladleturret.
 4. A ladle turret according to claim 1, wherein the hoistinggear includes a hydraulic power cylinder.